Closing summary
This blog is closing shortly. Here’s a summary of today’s developments:
The head of counter-terrorism policing Laurence Taylor has confirmed the suspicious device worn by the synagogue attacker Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was “a fake”.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will investigate “whether police may have caused or contributed to the death” of Adrian Daulby, 53. Daulby was inside the synagogue, helping to barricade the doors against the attacker when he suffered a fatal gunshot wound. There is no evidence that a non-police issue firearm was discharged at the scene, the watchdog added.
Melvin Cratz, 66, has been named as the other man who died in the attack. A security guard for the synagogue, he “courageously stopped the attacker from entering the building”, according to the police.
Three other victims of the attack remain in hospital with serious injuries. The congregation’s Rabbi, Daniel Walker, said two of them had “blocked the terrorist” with their bodies.
It has emerged that Al-Shamie was on police bail for an alleged rape when he carried out the attack, and is believed to have other criminal convictions – although he was not on the radar of counter-terrorism officers or MI5.
Three more people have been arrested by police investigating the attack, bringing the total number of people held on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism to six, Greater Manchester police has said.
Writing in The Jewish Chronicle, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, has urged people planning to protest in Manchester and London this weekend to “respect the grief of British Jews”. “This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain.”
The deputy prime minister David Lammy was heckled and booed by some of the crowd as he addressed a vigil close to the scene of the Manchester synagogue attack. People shouted “shame on you” and “you have blood on your hands” as he took to the stage. He told the vigil that “we must stand in grief, in solidarity and in defiance”.
An Israeli government minister has said Israel plans to host a visit by Tommy Robbinson in mid-October, describing him as a “British patriot” and “a courageous leader on the frontline against radical Islam”. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is a former member of the Far Right British National Party (BNP) and a former leader of the English Defence League.
Eyewitnesses described the terrorist shouting: “This is what they get for killing our children” as he tried to enter the synagogue.
In a statement on Facebook, Al-Shamie’s family said they were in “profound shock” and wanted to distance themselves from what they called his “heinous act”.
Thanks for following along with me, Donna Ferguson.
Friends of Melvin Cravitz, the 66 year-old synagogue security guard who died protecting others in the attack on Thursday, have been paying homage to a man who “would do anything to help anyone”.
He previously worked at a greengrocers in Salford, according to Manchester Evening News.
One of Cravitz’s neighbours, who did not wish to be named, told The Independent that Cravitz was “so nice in the community. He’d always be on the road talking to us. My sister lives a few doors down and he’d knock on and tell her her washing was getting wet. He was a very friendly neighbour.”
Hindi Cohen, another neighbour who attended the synagogue with Mr Cravitz, told The Times he was a “beloved” figure in the community.
She said: “He would visit us often. Before every festival we would have him over for a meal. He was very beloved. He was a figure round here.
“If you saw Melvin you stopped and talked.
“He didn’t always have it easy. He had health issues, but he was always with a joke and a smile.”
Relatives of Cravitz told Sky News he was a “gentle giant” who “would never harm a fly.”
In a tribute issued through Greater Manchester police, Cravitz’s family said: “Melvin would do anything to help anyone.”
The Muslim neighbours of Adrian Daulby, the Jewish man who lost his life while barricading the doors of the synagogue during the attack on Thursday, have been paying tribute to their friend in the media.
Abdul Rahimi, who lived next to Daulby for 20 years, told Sky News he was a “very, very good man” who often bought books and toys for children living on their street.
According to the Independent newspaper, Daulby always brought the family gifts on Christmas or Eid. Rahimi’s 16-year-old daughter Mariam told the paper: “We would play with water guns together in the summer. Even not during Christmas, if my sisters knocked on the door he would give them toys.”
Mariam said Daulby’s house was “the first we would go to” at Halloween.
Waqas Hussain, who grew up living next to Daulby, told Sky News he had bonded with Mr Daulby over their shared love of nature, animals and birds.
“He was just a great guy,” Mr Hussain said.
“Just one of them people… so innocent, so approachable and so pure,” he added.
According to The Times, a Muslim neighbour of Daulby stated that his garden was “his life” and that he loved the outdoors. “He was one of them who absolutely loved and adored kids as well,” the neighbour added.
“He didn’t have any of his own but the street’s kids were like his kids. He’d give them presents.”
Jews and Muslims who came to the vigil today have been talking to the media.
“There’s no room for this,” said Sham Raja, a local businessman, told reporters for The Associated Press. “The Jewish community, obviously, they are very upset at what’s happened, and there’s no room for the antisemitic. And also as a British Muslim, I fully support the Jewish community and work with them shoulder to shoulder.”
“We’re not going to cower away,” Issaac Friedlander said. “We’re not going to hide. ... We’re going to carry on with our lives.”
The 'suspicious device' worn by the attacker was a 'fake'
The head of counter-terrorism policing Laurence Taylor has confirmed that Jihad Al-Shamie was not wearing a bomb when Greater Manchester police used lethal force to stop him entering the synagogue.
“A suspicious device that was attached to his torso was assessed and we can confirm it was a fake,” Taylor said in a statement.
The investigation into the handling of the armed response to the Manchester synagogue attack will look at “whether police may have caused or contributed to the death” of Adrian Daulby and the officers involved are being “treated as witnesses”, the Independent Office for Police Conduct has said.
A postmortem examination on Friday has concluded that Daulby suffered a fatal gunshot wound.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) director Emily Barry said:
This was a tragic incident that has had a devastating impact on so many people in Manchester and beyond. Families have lost loved ones and communities have been rocked by a senseless act of violence, which police are treating as terrorism. Our thoughts are with all those affected.
Police investigations are ongoing and there are measures in place to ensure our enquiries do not get in the way of the vital work being done to keep people safe. However, we are also required to ensure there is an independent investigation to understand the circumstances that have led to the use of lethal force by police.
This includes the decision to deploy armed officers and the use of force against the suspected attacker. At this time, the officers involved are being treated as witnesses to our investigation. As with all our investigations, this will remain under review as we continue to gather evidence.
The IOPC said the investigation will include “whether police may have caused or contributed to the death of the man later found to have suffered the fatal gunshot wound”. “We will also look at any role the police may have played in injuries suffered by a third man, who was treated for a gunshot wound, and survived the incident,” the IOPC added.
There is no evidence that a non-police issue firearm was discharged at the scene, the watchdog added.
Updated
Police arrest three more people
Three more people have been arrested by police investigating the attack.
The arrests of the man and two women, aged between 18 and their mid-40s, brings the total number of people held on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism to six, greater Manchester Police has said.
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor said that as well as the two men who were killed – Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66 – three other men remain in hospital with serious injuries.
Talking more about the investigation, Taylor said: “We have been told from witness accounts that a man was seen acting suspiciously outside the synagogue before he was confronted by security and walked away. Based on the information we have at this time, we don’t believe this was reported to Greater Manchester Police because the man had left the area.
“Around 15 minutes later, the individual returned in a vehicle and began his horrific attack.
“There were a large number of worshippers in attendance but thanks to the bravery of security staff, worshippers and the fast action of the police, the attacker was prevented from gaining access.
“Based on some fast time assessments conducted on our systems, this individual does not appear to be known to Counter Terrorism Policing, however he does have a non-CT related criminal history. This includes a recent arrest for rape, which resulted in him being bailed.
“At this stage, we believe Al-Shamie may have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology. Establishing the full circumstances of the attack is likely to take some time.”
Updated
Grant Shapps, the former defence secretary, has said his father-in-law was worshipping at the synagogue when the attack occurred.
Shapps said hearing 79 year-old Michael Goldstone’s “chilling first-hand account” has brought home to him the “horror” of what happened.
Goldstone, the father of Shapps’ wife Belinda, came “face to face with the terrorist”, Shapps shared yesterday.
Shapps and his wife initally were unable to reach Goldstone after the attack, and only realised he was OK when they saw him leaving the synagogue on Sky News.
Yesterday’s terrorist attack on Manchester’s synagogue was an assault on the Jewish community and our shared humanity; hearing my father-in-law’s chilling first-hand account brings home the horror, as we mourn the lost, pray for the injured, and stand unshaken against hate.
— Rt Hon Sir Grant Shapps (@grantshapps) October 3, 2025
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Israel will host Tommy Robinson in October as "courageous leader on the frontline against radical Islam"
Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister, Amichai Chikli, has said Israel will be hosting a visit by the Far Right activist known as Tommy Robinson in October.
In a message on X, Chikli said: “In the wake of the horrific Manchester terrorist attack, Israel and the Jewish people stand firmly with our allies in the United Kingdom.
On behalf of the State of Israel, I am proud to host British patriot @TRobinsonNewEra who will visit Israel in mid-October. Tommy is a courageous leader on the frontline against radical Islam,” he added.
“At a time when Jews across Europe face rising antisemitism, it is vital to strengthen bonds with allies who refuse to be silent. He has proven himself a true friend of Israel and the Jewish people, unafraid to speak the truth and confront hate. Israel will always stand with the Jewish community and our allies worldwide. Together with friends like Tommy Robinson, we will build stronger bridges of solidarity, fight terror, and defend Western civilization and our shared values.”
Robinson, a former member of the Far Right British National Party (BNP) whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has increasingly sought to present himself as an ally against antisemitism as he and others have promoted anti-Muslim positions.
In the wake of the horrific Manchester terrorist attack, Israel and the Jewish people stand firmly with our allies in the United Kingdom.
— עמיחי שיקלי - Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) October 3, 2025
On behalf of the State of Israel, I am proud to host British patriot @TRobinsonNewEra who will visit Israel in mid-October.
Tommy is a… pic.twitter.com/D7gcNvHMFj
Updated
One of the synagogue attack victims is under armed guard in hospital, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Yoni Finlay was among the worshippers who held the doors of the synagogue closed to prevent the Jihad Al-Shamie from coming in with a knife.
He reportedly sustained an injury to his stomach from either a stray police bullet or debris after it struck the door.
After being taken away from the scene on a stretcher, he has had surgery and is in hospital under armed guard. He was awake and speaking on Thursday evening, according to reports.
Greater Manchester Police said Melvin Cravitz was a security guard working at the synagogue when the terror attack happened “who courageously stopped the attacker from entering the building”.
His family, in a statement issued by police said: “Melvin would do anything to help anyone. He was so kind, caring and always wanted to chat and get to know people.
“He was devoted to his wife, family and loved his food. He will be sorely missed by his wife, family, friends and community.
“We ask for privacy as we try to come to terms with this shocking loss.”
Updated
Sir Keir Starmer has urged people planning to protest in Manchester and London this weekend to “respect the grief of British Jews” as he said demonstrations could cause further pain to mourners.
Writing in The Jewish Chronicle, the prime minister said that antisemitism is rising and Jews face dangers simply because of who they are.
He wrote:
Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy – and there is justified concern about the suffering in Gaza – but a minority have used these protests as a pretext for stoking antisemitic tropes.
I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews this week.
This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain.
This is still the country that was proud to be a refuge during World War Two. This is still a country that prides itself on its values of tolerance, diversity and respect. A country that welcomes all people, no matter their faith, to stand under the same flag together, as neighbours and friends. It is our flag that flew over Bergen Belsen concentration camp as it was liberated, a symbol of safety and freedom. That is who we will always be – and hatred and violence will never win.
The final word must remain with those who lost their lives and those who mourn them. Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz. May their memories be a blessing.”
'I saw evil and I saw hate': Rabbi Daniel Walker describes looking at Jihad Al-Shamie as he tried to enter the synagogue
Rabbi Daniel Walker has described the moment he ran to the foyer of the synagogue to find a “very injured man” inside and a “terrorist trying to batter his way in”.
He told the BBC that Jihad Al-Shamie body-charged the doors and threw “heavy plant pots” at them: “He was doing everything he could to get in.”
He added: “A number of us were holding the doors and making sure that he couldn’t get in, and we did that until the police arrived.”
He described looking at Al-Shamie through the window of the door. He said: “I saw evil, and I saw hate. We will not allow that to beat us.”
Updated
'He always had a smile on his face': friends of synagogue attack victim Melvin Cravitz pay tribute
Friends of Melvin Cravitz, who died in the attack, have been paying tribute to the 66-year-old.
Andy Kordas, who lived close to Cravitz for many years, told the BBC he last saw him two days ago and he “always had a kind word”.
The 71-year-old said: “He always used to come over and have a chat and ask me what I was up to.
“He always had a smile on his face. It’s just terrible.”
Another neighbour, Bilal Ahmad, 55, said Cravitz was a “very nice guy” and “very calm”.
“He would always say hello when you came past,” he said.
Sam, an Orthodox Jewish man who lives behind the synagogue, said he recognised Cravitz when he saw reports of the attack.
“We used to see him around the neighbourhood and he would stop and chat,” he said.
“He was a very gentle, nice man.”
Updated
The Manchester Evening News has interviwed Hussain Waqas, a former neighbour of Adrian Daulby, who lost his life trying to protect others during the attack.
Hussain Waqas, 27, told the newspaper he grew up next door to Daulby and paid tribute to his friend.
He said:
We’re in so much shock. We used to talk for hours and hours outside. Even though he wasn’t family, he was that person I would always go to speak to.
I literally spoke to him on Tuesday, and he spoke about how it was going to be a big festival, but due to his health he said ‘I’m not going to fast.’
And he said, ‘I might be going to the synagogue or not.’ He was contemplating it. It just shows you never know where life takes you. He had a strong connection with the synagogue, he was very close to the Rabbi there. He loved his nature. He loved animals, he loved his birds. He had a YouTube channel related to birds.
He’s been through a lot. He’s a cancer survivor. He was a very simple, humble, homely person. All the kids on the street were his kids. He would bring out water guns in the summer, sweets, treats. They will miss him so much. Even now, I think he’s going to walk back down the street with a Tesco bag.”
Rabbi Daniel Walker, from the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, has told Sky News that Adrian Daulby – who died after he was accidentally shot by police during the attack – was holding the doors of the synagogue shut to ensure the terrorist did not enter.
He told the broadcaster:
One of the men was murdered entering into the synagogue from the outside on his way to pray, he was coming for morning services, Yom Kippur, and his life was taken.
The other man was inside the foyer, helping hold the doors to stop the terrorist coming in and when shots were fired he was fatally wounded.
“That was Adrian, who was holding the doors to make sure everyone inside stayed safe.”
He added that although the “pain is very raw” the Jewish community was strong and was going to recover.
He added:
I still believe in hope, I still believe that we will come together and that we are better than this - and that we’ll be better than this.”
Updated
The Manchester synagogue terrorist shouted “this is what they get for killing our children” as he tried to get to worshippers, an eyewitness has told ITV News.
Alan Levy, the synagogue’s chair of trustees, helped barricade the doors at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue when Jihad Al-Shamie appeared waving a knife.
Levy told ITV News he saw Al-Shamie “with a big knife, banging his knife into the glass, trying to get through.
“The heroes of the congregation who saw what was happening then came to the doors because he was trying to break the doors down to get in.
“We were barricading the doors between us with Rabbi Walker and a number of the other congregants. He couldn’t get in because we were holding the doors firm.”
He added: “All I heard him say was when the guys were outside the perimeter and were shouting at him. He shouted ‘this is what you get for killing our children’.”
He added: “It’s just truly horrific. The attacks against our community … Our children aren’t safe in schools, we have to have guards. Our people are not safe at the synagogue going to pray on the holiest day of our year.”
Israel's foreign minister tells British foreign secretary this is 'decisive moment in UK history'
The Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has told the British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper that “this is a decisive moment in the UK’s own history, for preserving its character”.
He posted on social media that he spoke to Cooper at her initiative, following the “horrific anti-Semitic terror attack” in Manchester.
I said that this is a decisive moment in the UK’s own history, for preserving its character, and it requires relentlessly combating the poisonous anti-Semitic movement.
I raised the need to fight the pro-Palestinian marches and protests, which bear anti-Semitic traits, and at times include explicit support for terror.
I said that this rabid incitement rightly disturbs the Jewish community in Britain deeply and it must be fought aggressively and determinedly. I emphasised that anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism, also according to the IHRA definition.
I raised the severity in which we view the Labour conference’s decisions from a few days ago which adopted the false lies and libels against Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
The Foreign Secretary clarified that these decisions do not reflect the government’s policy and the government dismissed them. I thanked her for this clarification.
We also discussed our mutual support for President Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza.”
Just spoke with UK Foreign Secretary @YvetteCooperMP, at her initiative, following the horrific anti-Semitic terror attack in Manchester.
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) October 3, 2025
I said that this is a decisive moment in the UK's own history, for preserving its character, and it requires relentlessly combating the… pic.twitter.com/Y58UCtuqd8
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Adrian Daulby's family pays tribute to 'hero' who lost his life saving others
The family of a worshipper who is believed to have been shot dead by police while attempting to prevent a terrorist from entering a synagogue have paid tribute to a “hero” who died “in the act of courage to save others”.
Armed police accidentally shot Adrian Daulby and another member of the public while attempting to stop Jihad Al-Shamie getting into the synagogue.
A tribute, provided by Daulby’s family through Greater Manchester Police, said:
Adrian Daulby was a hero and tragically lost his life in the act of courage to save others, he was a beloved brother, loving uncle to his four nieces and one nephew and a cherished cousin.
The family is shocked by the tragic, sudden death of such a lovely down to earth man.
His final act was one of profound courage and he will forever be remembered for his heroic act on Thursday 2 October 2025.
Updated
Key event
The Manchester synagogue terrorist was on police bail for an alleged rape when he carried out the attack, the Guardian can reveal.
Jihad al-Shamie, 35, was being investigated over the alleged sexual attack which is understood to have taken place earlier this year.
The Syrian-born attacker is also believed to have other criminal convictions, although he was not on the radar of counter-terrorism officers.
Updated
Here are some photos of people who attended the vigil earlier today.
Jewish leaders in Scotland have said they are “devastated” by the attack and called for “substantive action to confront and combat antisemitism in all its forms”.
Timothy Lovat, chair of the Jewish Council of Scotland, Henry Lovat, president of Glasgow Jewish Representative Council and Matthew Shaps, chair of Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation wrote the following statement yesterday, following the conclusion of Yom Kippur:
We are devastated by the terrorist attack that took place this morning at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, on Yom Kippur.
The victims, their families, and the entire Manchester Jewish community are in our thoughts and prayers during this time of profound grief and fear.
This awful attack is a tragic reminder of the manner in which hatred and intolerance towards Jewish people – whether put explicitly as such or directed (nominally) at “Zionists” or other euphemisms – can translate into deadly acts of violence aimed at our community.
Sentiments of concern and condolence from those whose words and conduct have previously increased rather than addressed the fears of our community, will inevitably ring hollow.
Rather, to be meaningful any words of concern must now be matched by substantive action to confront and combat antisemitism in all its forms.
Anti-Jewish sentiment and communal fears in the UK have been stoked by our political leaders’ use of inflammatory and irresponsible language about the ongoing, tragic conflict in Israel and Gaza.
With this in mind, we call on political and community leaders across Scotland to act urgently to stop fanning the flames of hatred, and – once again – to work with and alongside, rather than vilifying and alienating, the Jewish community of Scotland, to support rather than undermine community cohesion across our nation.
We thank Police Scotland for their continued engagement with and support for Jewish communities across Scotland at this extremely fraught juncture.
Last, we would once again urge all members of the community attending synagogues or other community premises to follow all instructions from police and security, and in particular not to congregate outside communal premises and to keep doors closed at all times.”
Angela Rayner was spotted attending the vigil at the synagogue. The former deputy prime minister, who has been keeping a low profile since she resigned last month, stood near Lucy Powell, one of the deputy leadership candidates. She was later photographed hugging Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood at the vigil.
Muslim leaders in the UK, including the chief Iman of Scotland, have condemned the attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue.
The leaders include Imams Dr Sayed Razawi, Qari Asim, Dr Khalifa Ezzat and Sheikh Mohammad Ismail DL. Alongside Jewish leaders, they recently signed the Drumlanrig Accords, a peace accord which aims to strengthen Jewish-Muslim relationships in the UK.
They have issued the following statement:
In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
The tragic events at a synagogue in Manchester, on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar and within a house of worship, have profoundly shaken our communities.
The Qur’an teaches: “Whoever kills one soul, it is as if he has slain all of humanity”. Violence and hatred have no place in our society.
The Drumlanrig Accords are a covenant – a moral contract – between Muslim and Jewish religious leaders in Britain to reject violence, uphold peace, and protect civilians of all backgrounds. They were not written to serve politics, but to serve God; not to protect power, but to protect life.
The Accords affirm our shared duty to defend the sanctity of life – especially the lives of women, children, and the vulnerable – and to safeguard places of worship and education. These are the pillars of our communities, and their protection is a sacred trust.
The Accords make clear that whilst we cannot control geopolitics, they enshrine our collective responsibility to prevent hatred from taking root in our own communities. We can ensure that mosques, synagogues, churches, and all places of worship remain sanctuaries of peace rather than targets of fear. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught: “A Muslim is the one from whose hand and tongue others are safe”.
The Drumlanrig Accords provide a robust framework to resist all forms of anti-Muslim hatred and antisemitism and deepen cooperation between our diverse faith communities in the United Kingdom to build a society where all can live with dignity, safety, and freedom of belief.
We stand in sorrow and solidarity with the families of the victims, holding them, and all who are affected, in our thoughts. We reaffirm our collective resolve: to stand together, to reject hatred, and to ensure that faith is never twisted into a weapon of harm.”In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Updated
Joanne Sheldon, 61, from Radcliffe, Bury, said she turned her back when David Lammy began to speak at a vigil for the victims of the synagogue attack.
She said:
We didn’t know he would be speaking here and when we found out we just thought ‘why is he here?’ Jewish people don’t feel it’s safe in Britain now.
Her friend Hayley Lawson, 49, said hatred was being “stirred up” by pro-Palestine marches.
She said:
It is not our fault what is going on between Israel and Gaza. Nobody wants war.
There were marches at the beginning with Ukraine and Russia but those marches have all gone and what about all the other things happening in the world? People aren’t marching for them.
That says to me these marches are against Jewish people, pure and simple, because if they weren’t they’d be marching about other things going on in the world.
Joanne Lazarus, 61, from Whitefield, Bury, shouted “shame on you” and “you’re embarrassing” at David Lammy as he spoke at the vigil.
She said she wanted the government to stop pro-Palestine marches taking place.
She told the PA news agency:
I took the chance to make my voice heard. I can’t take these marches every single Saturday.
I’ve been into town on a Saturday and have been told I’m a baby killer and to ‘go home’.
That hatred is felt through the whole of the UK and through what happened here yesterday. I knew it would happen.
Lazarus, who attended the Heaton Park Shul when she was younger, said she didn’t think Lammy would “care” about the response he received at the vigil.
Closing the vigil, Rabbi Walker added: “I want to say thank you again to those special and heroic men who stopped that terrorist getting into my shul and stopped much worse things happening.
“I want to say thank you to emergency services, first of all, to the police, who came to our aid at the time of our greatest need, who were there for us.
“The fire service, the ambulance service, those who tended to the wounded. to all those who have helped us and supported us through this most terrible and darkest time.
“Adrian and Melvin died as Jews for being Jews. The only way to defeat darkness, the only way to defeat unholiness, is with goodness.”
The justice secretary was heckled and booed by some of the crowd as he addressed a vigil close to the scene of the Manchester synagogue attack.
As he took to the stage, Lammy faced calls of “shame on you”, “go to Palestine, leave us alone”, “you’ve allowed it to grow on the campuses” and “you have blood on your hands”.
David Lammy has said “we all feel terrorism” and used the example of his “best childhood friend” who was “blown to smithereens” in the 7 July 2005 London bombings.
During vigil near the site of Thursday’s terror attack, the justice secretary said:
We stand with you against those who think bombs and blasts will break us, we stand against all states who would minimise or coddle or obfuscate on anti-Jewish hate.
We know terrorism in this country. We know it, of course, in this city - we saw it at the arena, and we have seen it in Heaton Park.
We all know terrorism, we all feel terrorism - my best friend from childhood, James Adams, was blown to smithereens in the 7/7 bombings.
And I vow to you, every Christian, every Muslim, every Jew, every Mancunian, every Brit: we will never stop fighting it.
However, uproar resumed in the vigil crowd as Lammy said “that is why we stand in defiance of those terrorists who seek to divide us”.
There were shouts from attendees, and one man could be heard saying “you enabled it, every Saturday”.
He continued:
We cannot, must not, let them divide us - we must show them who we really are, not what they want us to become or to believe.
Updated
Chief constable of Greater Manchester Police Stephen Watson addressed the vigil on Friday afternoon.
He said:
I can pledge to you that GMP are with you as one in continuing relentlessly, professionally, ruthlessly, all of those who would harm our Jewish community and other communities across Greater Manchester where hate is the originator of their intent.
He praised the CST, saying they are “the embodiment of our mutual determination to keep our communities safe and for you to have your absolute God-given right to live your Jewish lives as you’re entitled to do in our country”.
The mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham addressed the vigil and said:
We care about you, we love you, we value what you have given to Greater Manchester over the years.
An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.
That is the permanent principle, the firm foundation on which this city region has been built, by you by us, by everyone here over centuries, that is who we are, and we will not let this break us in any way, shape, or form.
I salute the strength of our Jewish community.
Lammy told the vigil that “we must stand in grief, in solidarity and in defiance”, after heckles from the crowd.
The justice secretary said:
We must stand together … in grief for the innocent lives that were taken so cruelly - senseless murders carried out on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish year, grief that causes so much pain and so much suffering.
Today our hearts, our thoughts, our prayers must be with the families of those who were killed, and of course, with this community, this Jewish community, both here in Manchester and in Heaton Park Synagogue.
Right across our nation, and as the member of parliament for Tottenham, I know the suffering in Crumpsall is all the same as the pain, the worry and the frightened faces in my own constituency and in the area of Stamford Hill - one of the historic homes of the Jewish community in this country.
In that sense, London and Manchester are twin communities grieving as one, and the whole nation is with them.
Lammy heckled and booed by crowd at Manchester synagogue vigil
Justice secretary David Lammy was heckled and booed by some of the crowd as he addressed a vigil close to the scene of the Manchester synagogue attack.
As he took to the stage he faced calls of “shame on you”, “go to Palestine, leave us alone”, “you’ve allowed it to grow on the campuses” and “you have blood on your hands”.
After leading the prayer, Rabbi Walker continued: “We thank all those of our community and beyond.
“We also remember Adrian and Melvin, truly wonderful special men whose lives were so truly snatched from them as they tried to pray as Jews on the holiest day of the year on Yom Kippur.”
He then went on to recite another prayer.
Rabbi pays tribute to 'heroes' as vigil begins in north Manchester
Rabbi Daniel Walker, from the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, has paid thanks to “one of the heroes” who is recovering in hospital from “terrible wounds”, during a vigil after the synagogue terror attack.
Speaking on Middleton Road near the police cordon, he told the crowd:
I’m joined here by many dignitaries for whose presence we are very, very grateful, but I just want to introduce you, first of all, to the young people who are standing here with me.
He addressed the “youngest kids” of “one of the people, one of the heroes, of the Heaton Park Shul community, who is today in hospital recovering from terrible wounds.”
The rabbi added that he is recovering alongside two men who “blocked the terrorist” with their bodies.
“So I want to begin with prayers for them, as is traditional”, he said, before leading a prayer in Hebrew.
You can watch coverage of the vigil live here:
Updated
The Campaign Against Antisemitism plans to hold a demonstration outside Downing Street next Thursday, to mark a week following the Manchester terror attack.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said:
The time for dialogue, platitudes, and lip service has passed. Britain can no longer afford excuses while our Jewish community faces terror on our streets. On Thursday evening, we will be protesting outside Downing Street to demand action, not empty words.
Those murdered yesterday were simply going to synagogue to pray on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Their deaths were made inevitable by the radicalisation and Islamist extremism that successive governments have allowed to fester - ignoring warnings, tolerating incitement, and failing to act. If you reward terrorism, you get terrorism; if you appease the mob, the mob is emboldened.
Now Britain must show that it truly wants to keep its Jews safe. The government must ban extremist protests, hold police chiefs accountable, compel regulators to step up, and ensure universities and media accept responsibility for the environment of hatred they have tolerated. No more double standards: the mobs must be treated like those at Southport - with the full force of the law.
The blood of British Jews is on the hands of politicians who have appeased extremists, police chiefs who have failed to enforce the law, universities and media who have turned a blind eye, and regulators who have done too little for too long.
Downing Street must act. Not tomorrow, not after another attack - now.
GMP chief joins calls for pro-Palestine Action protests to be called off this weekend
Greater Manchester Police chief Stephen Watson has joined the calls for this weekend’s pro-Palestine Action protests to be called off.
He said he was asking for “common decency” and “humanity”, while asking if now is the right time for demonstrations to be held.
He said:
We’re ensuring that every available officer in Greater Manchester is currently deployed to provide reassurance, particularly amongst our Jewish communities, at what is a time of profound distress and sorrow.
We are aware that a number of planned demonstrations are due to take place this weekend, of the variety that we routinely police across our city-region week-in and week-out.
At this time, however, I am directly appealing to all those who might be intending to protest this weekend to consider whether this is really the right time.
You could do the responsible and sensitive thing and refrain, on this occasion, from protesting in a manner which is likely to add to the trauma currently being experienced by our Jewish community.
We can’t and wouldn’t seek to stop peaceful gatherings, however, we will act immediately to curtail any acts of violence, intimidation or threat. In circumstances where protests do occur over the coming days, we will act robustly in all circumstances to uphold the law.
I would call upon the common decency and humanity of all people across Greater Manchester to aid us in seeking to support our Jewish communities following such a horrific attack.
There are planned vigils and dignified events that will occur over the coming hours and days. These are opportunities for quiet and respectful reflection, and I know that the decent majority of people across Greater Manchester will join together in standing shoulder to shoulder with those who grieve.
Updated
Met chief in fresh warning over protest against Palestine Action ban
People protesting against the proscription of Palestine Action on Saturday “should not think for a moment that their offending will go unpoliced”, the head of the Metropolitan police has said.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said:
The horrific attack in Manchester has caused significant fear and concern in communities across the UK, including here in London. Yet at a time when we want to be deploying every available officer to ensure the safety of those communities, we are instead having to plan for a gathering of more than 1,000 people in Trafalgar Square on Saturday in support of a terrorist organisation.
By deliberately choosing to encourage mass law breaking on this scale, [protest organisers] Defend Our Juries are drawing valuable resources away from the communities of London at a time when they are needed most.
He said that organisers had been asked to delay or cancel their protest.
However if they fail to do so, they should not think for a moment that their offending will go unpoliced. If we have to, we will call in support from forces across the UK to ensure we can arrest all those breaking the law in support of a terrorist group while we also keep communities safe.
Some may ask why we do not ban the protest, but there is no power in law for us to do so. Nor is there even the possibility for us to apply to the home secretary to ban static assemblies in the way there is, in very limited circumstances, for protest marches.”
John Swinney has expressed his sympathy to the Jewish community following the terrorist attack in Manchester, with flags at Scottish government buildings flying at half-mast.
The first minister has written privately to community leaders and he visited the Edinburgh Hebrew Community on Thursday evening.
Speaking on Friday, Swinney said his government will “do everything necessary” to ensure the continued safety of the Jewish community in Scotland. He said:
The horror of the violence inflicted upon the Jewish community with the Heaton Park attack is utterly unimaginable. I cannot stress enough my sympathy with those families and their friends who have lost their loved ones, and my solidarity with the Jewish community in Scotland and across the whole of the United Kingdom.
“I can assure our Jewish community that we will do everything necessary to ensure their continued safety, and additional security and policing is in place around synagogues and Jewish community venues. When society is faced with unimaginable horror we must take solace in the things that unite us. We must stand firm against those that seek to divide us. Now more than ever, division and all form of hatred – especially evil antisemitism – must be rejected, and I urge communities across Scotland to stand firm against those that seek to divide our country.“Scotland’s diversity and our inclusive outlook is one of our greatest strengths. It is a precious commodity which we must all work to cherish and maintain, especially at moments of strain.”
Police need more power to stop marches after attacks, says terror watchdog
Police should be given greater power to seek bans on political marches in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist attack, the government appointed official reviewer of terrorism legislation has said.
Jonathan Hall KC said the power should only be used to spare police resources which would be under huge strain in the aftermath of an attack.
The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has called for organisers of pro-Palestinian events to “step back” this weekend, in the wake of the Manchester synagogue atrocity.
On Saturday in central London, a protest opposing the terrorist proscription of Palestine Action will take place, with hundreds expected to defy the law by publicly showing their support for the group so facing the threat of arrest.
Hall told the Guardian: “If there is an urgent case where police need resources to deal with the aftermath of a terrorist attack, I am surprised there is no power to ban a march or assembly in these specific circumstances.”
He stressed any ban should be temporary and be justified because police need their resources elsewhere, such as investigating an attack or to provide extra patrols.
Guardian photographer Christopher Thomond has been in Manchester today, capturing scenes from the aftermath of the attack.
Postponing Gaza protest 'lets terror win', say march organisers
Cancelling a major protest in London tomorrow in support of lifting the ban on Palestine Action “lets terror win,” its organisers have said amid pressure to call it off from police and the government after Thursday’s terror attack in Manchester.
On Friday, the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, also called for the protest to be postponed after police said they wanted to be able to focus their resources on protecting Jewish and Muslim communities.
But the organisers, Defend Our Juries, said that supporters, including many Jewish people, wanted the protest to go ahead.
It expected 1,500 people - including priests, vicars, pensioners and healthcare workers - to take part in the event which would involve them peacefully sitting holding cardboard signs saying ‘I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action’.
In a statement it said:
Our thoughts are with everyone who has lost loved ones in the horrific attack on Heaton Park Synagogue and we stand in solidarity with the Jewish community across the UK.”
”Many Jewish supporters of Defend Our Juries have warned that postponing tomorrow’s action would risk conflating the actions of state of Israel with Jewish people around the world – as [Benjamin] Netanyahu seeks to do – who bear no responsibility for Israel’s crimes, which could fuel antisemitic hatred and prejudice.
“It couldn’t be clearer that tomorrow’s action – which is in Trafalgar Square and not near any synagogue – is about defying the government’s absurdly authoritarian proscription of Palestine Action and the government’s complicity in the genocide being committed by the Israeli government.Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win. It’s more important than ever to defend our democracy, including our fundamental rights to peaceful protest and freedom of speech, and to take a stand tomorrow against killing and against oppression, and for peace and justice for all.”
'Desecration of our synagogue has changed us forever,' says Heaton Park rabbi
A statement from Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation rabbi Daniel Walker, its president Hilary Foxler, and chairman of trustees Alan Levy, said the “loss we feel is beyond words”.
It said:
It is hard to find the words to convey the depth of our community’s grief, as we try to process yesterday’s act of unimaginable violence. This desecration of our synagogue, on Yom Kippur of all days, is an episode that has changed us all forever.
Two of our beloved members were murdered in cold blood, and others remain in hospital with serious injuries. The loss we feel is beyond words. These were not simply members of our synagogue - they were our friends, our family - and their absence leaves a void that can never be filled.
Even in this valley of deepest sorrow, we have been upheld by extraordinary courage and kindness from so many. We are profoundly grateful to our security team, to CST (Community Security Trust) and to the emergency services, whose swift and selfless actions saved countless lives and brought reassurance amid chaos. To all of them we owe a debt that can never be repaid.
“We have also been strengthened by the countless expressions of solidarity that have poured in, not only from across the Jewish community but from faith leaders, from political leaders and, from neighbours of every background. In our darkest hour, you have shown us that we do not stand alone. Your embrace reminds us that love and compassion remain stronger than hate.
As the chief rabbi has noted, this attack was an assault not only on Jews, but upon our shared values. The greatest tribute to the memory of Adrian and Melvin Z”L (which means, may his memory be a blessing) would be for communities right across the country to come together in peace and solidarity, to challenge the evil of antisemitism wherever it is found, so that no other community has to endure these horrors ever again.
For now we will continue to weep, we will continue to pray, and we will continue to live our lives as Jews with dignity and faith.
Updated
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it is carrying out an investigation to establish the facts of what happened at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall on Thursday.
Emily Barry, IOPC director of engagement, said:
Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families, as well as all those affected by yesterday’s horrific events.
As is standard when there has been a fatal police shooting, we are carrying out an independent investigation to establish the facts of what happened, and our findings will be shared with the coroner in due course.
IOPC investigators attended the police post-incident procedures and were at the scene last night gathering evidence. We will be present at the post-mortems today to provide independent oversight.
It is important in these circumstances that the police are able to continue their vital work, and there are established protocols we follow to ensure our role does not hinder their ability to conduct inquiries as part of their own investigations.
We will share further information when we are in a position to do so.
Manchester United will hold a minute’s silence and the players will wear black armbands as a mark of respect after the terrorist attack at a synagogue in the city on Thursday.
However, there are no plans for a minute’s silence to be held across the board before this weekend’s Premier League and English Football League fixtures.
Individual clubs, such as Manchester United, are able to organise tributes if they wish to do so but there has been no directive from the leagues.
The Football Association is yet to clarify whether there will be a tribute before England’s men play Wales in a friendly at Wembley next Thursday.
Social media “has a lot to answer for” in the “stoking of hatred” and fear, senior Masorti Judaism rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg has said in the wake of the Crumpsall synagogue terror attack.
He told BBC News:
We have for a long time... been accustomed to needing security at all our venues and all our events. It actually reflects a tragic situation: the presence of antisemitism in so many ways in our society, and we deeply regret that.
The rabbi added:
Judaism is a deeply, deeply resilient religion, and I want to say they also appreciated, when I came home from the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the many, many messages from Christian and particularly Muslim colleagues of solidarity, because this is not just attack against us - it’s an attack against all faiths and against the very coherence and tolerance of our society.
Asked how “voices of calm can make themselves heard above voices of hatred”, Wittenberg said:
The stoking of hatred and the stoking of fear is really profoundly, profoundly wrong, and social media has a lot to answer for. And so do people who don’t appreciate the vulnerability that others feel and how much we need to be humanity together.
Across our faiths and across our society we need to be seen more together, we need to partner more together: the Jewish, the Muslim, the Christian community and other faiths, civil society as well.
The statements by government are reassuring but they need to be backed up with actions to protect the security and safety over all of us.
Here is a graphic which shows the exact location of the fatal terror attack in Crumpsall, north Manchester, yesterday:
The prime minister was shown around Greater Manchester Police headquarters by chief constable Stephen Watson.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig joined Keir Starmer and the police chief for a briefing before they met emergency service workers who responded to the attack.
Visiting the silver command offices where commanders from the three emergency services operated from on Thursday, Starmer said the work they had done was “exemplary”.
Among the first responders he met were two police sniffer dogs, Jimmy and Champ.
The prime minister visited the silver command base in police headquarters before meeting responders from the police, ambulance and fire service.
He praised “the degree of professionalism and speed” that workers showed on Thursday.
Starmer told them:
I just wanted to come and say to you, thank you so much for what you did yesterday, what you are continuing to do, because here you are back at work the next day.
He added:
The confidence that you’ve given people across not just Greater Manchester... but across the whole country, is really, really important to us. So thank you very much.
Speaking at Greater Manchester Police headquarters where he thanked emergency services personnel for their work during the Crumpsall synagogue terror attack, Starmer said:
This was a dreadful attack, a terrorist attack to inflict fear. Attacking Jews because they are Jews.
It’s really important today that the whole country comes together, people of all faiths and no faith, stand in support and solidarity with our Jewish community, and I know that your work will help to that end.
The prime minister added:
We must defeat antisemitism, and that is the responsibility of all of us.
It is the responsibility of government and we will rise to that challenge and do all that we can to absolutely ensure that our Jewish community is safe and secure, and that we show them the strength of the support and solidarity that we have for them.
That will be massively helped by what you have already done, what you’re continuing to do.
Updated
Prime minister Keir Starmer has thanked emergency service workers who responded to the synagogue attack on a visit to Greater Manchester Police headquarters.
Speaking to about 40 first responders, Starmer, who was joined by his wife Victoria, said:
I wanted to come and see you to be able to say on my own behalf as prime minister, but on behalf of the whole country, thank you for your response yesterday.
It’s a very humble thank you.
Starmer, who went to the scene before visiting police HQ and said he had seen body-worn footage of the incident, added:
I am absolutely clear in my mind of the professionalism of the response, the speed of the response, and also that an absolutely wful incident would have been even worse if it hadn’t been for your response.
So thank you is a really important two words at a time like this, and I say thank you to each and every one of you, and through you to all the other people that were there responding yesterday and ask that to be passed on to all of those.
Armed officers involved in synagogue gunfire are being treated as witnesses
The armed officers involved in opening fire at the synagogue as they responded to reports of an attack, are being treated as witnesses, not suspects, by the investigation into the shooting.
It is being conducted by the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and was already underway before news emerged that it was likely a police bullet killed one of the worshippers.
By law any police fatal shooting has to be investigated independently, and the death of the attacker triggered a mandatory IOPC investigation.
The Guardian further understands that investigators from watchdog will attend the full post mortems of those who died following the attack, to provide independent oversight. The post mortems are already underway, and are expected to be completed Friday, though full reports from the pathologist may take longer to receive.
If, as is feared, it is confirmed a police bullet killed one of the worshippers, the IOPC will then have to decide whether the officer who fired the shot that is believed to have killed one worshipper, and wounded another, will face any sort of investigation by them.
It would be for Greater Manchester police to refer the death of the worshipper to the IOPC.
Under English criminal law officers can use force in defence of themselves or others. They need to have had a reasonable and honest belief that using force was necessary. They do not have to be correct in their judgements when acting rapidly and under pressure.
Expert advice is also likely to be called in from specialists from ballistics and investigators expect to be able to tell which police weapons fired which bullets.
One of the victims injured in the Manchester synagogue attack was working for the Comunity Security Trust (CST), a charity which provides security to the Jewish community.
Its chief executive Mark Gardner said in a statement:
I said after October 7 that I did not believe in ‘reassurance’, because it sounds like a magic wand that nothing will happen.
Instead, I gave you my ‘assurance’ that CST would do everything in our power to keep Jews safe so as to encourage strength and resilience.
In pursuit of that mission, one of our CST personnel was seriously injured in yesterday’s terror attack at Heaton Park Synagogue. We pray for his continuing recovery and salute the courage of all those who helped stop the terrorist from getting into the shul.
We will keep doing all we can in the protection of our community and thank all of those who support us in doing so.
Security patrols have been increased in London as a result of the fatal terror attack in Manchester, the Jewish neighbourhood watch group Shomrim has said.
The London North and East arm of the voluntary security organisation also advised synagogue doors to be locked at all times.
In a post on X, the group said:
On Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, the terrorist atttack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue left 2 people dead and 4 seriously injured. Our thoughts go out to the families, friends and the whole Jewish community who have been affected.
Given the heightened risk to the Jewish community, @MPSHackney have significantly stepped up security in #StamfordHill, including armed police patrolling the streets. This is part of the updated High Holy Days policing plan.
@Shomrim urge the community to remain calm yet vigilant. Please ensure synagogue doors are kept locked at all times and report anything unusual, no matter how small.
A vigil for the victims of yesterday’s attack at a north Manchester synagogue will be held at 3pm this afternoon.
Manchester City Council said the vigil would be held at the junction between Middleton Road and Crumpsall Lane in Crumpsall.
A spokesperson said:
Manchester extends its deepest sympathy following the horrific incident at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Yom Kippur. This act of violence has deeply shaken our city.
Today, we come together to honour those affected and stand united with our Jewish community.
A vigil will be held at 3pm today, (3rd October), at the junction of Middleton Road and Crumpsall Lane (M8 5DS). This will be a space for reflection, support and collective strength in the face of hate.
Attacker's father expresses 'deep shock and sorrow' over synagogue killings
The father of the Manchester synagogue attacker, who killed two people and injured others yesterday morning, has said his family condemns his son’s actions.
Faraj al-Shamie, father of attacker Jihad al-Shamie, said the news had come as a “profound shock” to him and the family.
In a social media post, he wrote:
The news from Manchester regarding the terrorist attack targeting a Jewish synagogue has been a profound shock to us. The al-Shamie family in the UK and abroad strongly condemns this heinous act, which targeted peaceful, innocent civilians.
We fully distance ourselves from this attack and express our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened. Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort.
We kindly request that all media outlets respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time and refrain from using this tragic event in any context that does not reflect the truth.
May God have mercy on the innocent victims, and we pray for the swift recovery of the injured.
Victim died after being shot by armed police in response to synagogue attack, police say
One of the victims in Thursday’s attack outside a synagogue in north Manchester died after being shot accidentally by an armed officer, police have said.
Chief constable Stephen Watson, of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), said that the attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, was not in possession of a firearm. He said that the death of the member of the public was the result of “a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious attack to an end”.
A second member of the public sustained non-life threatening gunshot injuries, he added.
In a statement, he said:
The Home Office pathologist has advised that he has provisionally determined, that one of the deceased victims would appear to have suffered a wound consistent with a gunshot injury.
It is currently believed that the suspect, Jihad al-Shamie, was not in possession of a firearm and the only shots fired were from GMP’s Authorised Firearms Officers as they worked to prevent the offender from entering the synagogue and causing further harm to our Jewish community.
It follows therefore, that subject to further forensic examination, this injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious attack to an end.
We have also been advised by medical professionals that one of the three victims currently receiving treatment in hospital, has also suffered a gunshot wound, which is mercifully not life threatening.
Updated
The new Archbishop of Canterbury said the Church of England stood with the Jewish community against antisemitism following an attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday which killed two men.
“We then, as a church, have a responsibility to be a people who stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism in all its forms,” Archbishop of Canterbury-designate Sarah Mullally said on Friday in her first speech since being appointed to the role.
Keir Starmer visits scene of synagogue attack on Friday morning
Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria have visited the scene of yesterday’s fatal attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, north Manchester.
The prime minister was seen this morning meeting police officers and viewing the flowers and tribute messages left on the street outside.
Geoff Haliwell, 72, who lives close to Jihad al-Shamie’s home in Prestwich, said the property used to be on his window cleaning round.
Haliwell said he believed the al-Shamie family had lived at the address for around 20 years including his mother, father and brothers.
He said the father had lived there for five or six years then left the home but would visit in a car with French number plates.
He said Jihad al-Shamie would sometimes wear western clothes and other times “traditional” Syrian dress. He also said Jihad al-Shamie would use benches to work out.
He added: “I would see him at least once or twice a week, we just said ‘hello’.
“I didn’t even know his name. He was just a straightforward, ordinary lad, nothing [that] would stand out.”
People have been leaving flowers outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall this morning.
Here are a few pictures of the flowers and messages that have been left:
Updated
This image is believed to be of the Manchester synagogue attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, who was shot dead by armed police on Thursday morning.
It was taken from Facebook. It was uploaded on 23 October last year.
Updated
Metropolitan Police urges organisers to delay or cancel Palestine Action protest
A pro-Palestine protest planned for Saturday in London should be cancelled following the terror attack in Manchester, the Metropolitan Police has insisted.
A statement from the Met published on social media site X on Friday morning said:
The horrific terrorist attack that took place in Manchester yesterday will have caused significant fear and concern in communities across the UK, including here in London.
Yet at a time when we want to be deploying every available officer to ensure the safety of those communities, we are instead having to plan for a gathering of more than 1,000 people in Trafalgar Square on Saturday in support of a terrorist organisation.
By choosing to encourage mass law-breaking on this scale, Defend Our Juries are drawing resources away from the communities of London at a time when they are needed most.
We urge them to do the responsible thing and delay or cancel their plans.
Updated
Neighbours of the synagogue killer said he had lived there since around 2021, and one neighbour remembered a baby also living at the address but could not recall seeing a woman living there.
One woman told PA Media:
We used to see him out in the garden working out, doing weights, press ups.
He used to change his clothes. One day he would be wearing the full gown, to the floor and the next jeans and pyjama bottoms.
Another neighbour described how armed police arrived at the house around 3.15pm on Thursday.
A man, who would only give his name as Mike, 35, said he was visiting his mother’s house and was at the window and looked up to see police arrived.
He said:
There was a whole load of armed police coming up the street, they were all in black, they were all in vans and a big marked police car blocked the street.
They went to the house and started screaming, ‘Armed police! Come out!’ They had a chain saw. They left after about an hour.
Mike said he did not see anyone taken away and did not personally know Al-Shamie.
Armed counter-terror officer swooped on the attacker’s semi-detached property shortly before 4.30pm yesterday, around seven hours after the attack at a synagogue about two miles away.
Footage shared by neighbours shows heavily armed officers in military fatigues preparing to raid the house with a chainsaw and a police dog. One officer carried two bulletproof shields.
“They just came up the street shouting and screaming,” said one neighbour, Mike, who only wanted to give his first name. “They shouted ‘Get down’ … they were there for ages.”
Another neighbour, Paul Wright, 60, said he feared an anti-Jewish attack was imminent given the raised tensions over the Gaza conflict.
“It doesn’t surprise me. I suppose if you think you’re mandated by God to do that it’s a great force multiplier,” he said.
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, has said Thursday was a “horrific day” for the Jewish community in Britain, Britain at large, and the Jewish community throughout the world.
“It’s a shocking reminder of what we’ve been alerting on for quite some time, that this heatwave of antisemitism and anti-Jewish feelings all over the world at the end reaches bloodshed,” he told LBC.
The Israeli president visited the UK last month and held what he described as a “tough” set of exchanges over humanitarian aid in Gaza with Keir Starmer in Downing Street. There were street protests during his visit demanding that he be arrested as a war criminal.
This morning, Herzog said what happened at the synagogue in Crumpsall was a “true horror” and said “very strong steps” are required in pre-empting “this horrific wave of terror and antisemitism”.
Residents in Langley Crescent said Jihad al-Shamie had lived there since around 2021, and one neighbour remembered a baby also living at the address but could not recall seeing a woman living there.
Another neighbour described how armed police arrived at the house around 3.15pm on Thursday.
Press Association said the man, who would only give his name as Mike, 35, said he was visiting his mother’s house and was at the window and looked up to see police arrive. He said:
There was a whole load of armed police coming up the street, they were all in black, they were all in vans and a big marked police car blocked the street.
They went to the house and started screaming, ‘Armed police! Come out!’ They had a chainsaw. They left after about an hour.”
Mike said he did not see anyone taken away and did not personally know Al-Shamie.
Flags in the House of Commons have been lowered for the victims of the attack.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, agreed for the flags to be lowered until 8pm on Friday.
Here are some of the latest images from Langley Crescent, the street where, according to PA Media, police believe the attacker lived.
Updated
Yesterday, police named the attacker as Jihad al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent.
Asked about his name, on LBC, Mahmood says:
I was very surprised to discover that name myself. Actually, as a Muslim, I’ve never heard someone being called Jihad, but it is the name that he was born with - that has always been his name.
PA Media reports that a police officer is standing guard restricting entrance to Langley Crescent, where Al-Shamie is believed to have lived in the three-bed end-terrace council property.
Dozens of reporters are also camped in the street outside as more police arrive in a van at the property in Prestwich, a couple of miles from the synagogue in Crumpsall.
Updated
We’ve got a bit more from the chief rabbi, who said so many people in the Jewish community “and well beyond it” wonder why marches in support of Palestine Action are allowed to take place.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
Some of them contain outright antisemitism, outright support for Hamas. Not every single person, however there is so much of this, which certainly is dangerous to many within our society.
You cannot separate the words on our streets, the actions of people in this way, and what inevitably results, which was yesterday’s terrorist attack.
The two are directly linked and therefore we call on the government yet again, we’ve been doing so continuously, and yet again we say get a grip on these demonstrations, they are dangerous.
Chief rabbi criticises 'unrelenting wave of hatred against Jews'
Chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said this is a “very dark time” ahead of visiting Manchester, as he referred to an “unrelenting wave of hatred against Jews”.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said:
Right now, our hearts are shattered. What transpired yesterday was an awful blow to us, something which actually we were fearing might happen because of the build up to this action.
I’m going to be arriving in Manchester early this morning, together with my wife, in order to be with a grieving community, and this is a very dark time, not just for Jews of Britain but for all of our society because this wasn’t merely an attack against Jews, it was an attack against the values of our society.
The chief rabbi added:
We have witnessed an unrelenting wave of hatred against Jews being expressed on our streets, on campuses, right across social media and some of the media.
And in addition to that, when there is the unjustified demonisation of Israel, that feeds directly into an anti-Jewish sentiment within the tone of Britain, and that then encourages extremism.
Our government needs to be mindful of that.
As my colleague Chris Osuh has reported, feelings of safety in the UK’s Jewish community have declined sharply in the last couple of years, according to the largest survey of British Jews since 7 October 2023.
Speaking to LBC, the home secretary says antisemitism has been “rising” in the UK.
Asked about comments made by Israel foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar that the UK government is failing to curb “rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement in Britain”, she said:
Myself and the prime minister both acknowledge that antisemitism in our country has been rising.
It is completely unacceptable, and we both condemn it utterly. We will not stand for it.
We have strong laws in our country against incitement to racial hatred.
Too early to say if terrorist cell behind the attack, home secretary says
Mahmood’s next stop is BBC Breakfast. She is asked if a terrorist cell is behind the attack.
It’s too early to say that yet. Arrests have been made and the police investigation is continuing at pace.
We will, of course, provide more information as that comes in from the police, but I think it’s important we don’t get ahead of what we know as the basic facts of what has happened.
Pro-Palestine marches after Manchester attack 'un-British', says Mahmood
Next on Sky news, Mahmood is asked about the pro-Palestine marches that took place late on Thursday. She said:
I was very disappointed to see those protests go ahead last night.
I think that behaviour is fundamentally un-British. I think it’s dishonourable.
I would have wanted those individuals to just take a step back.
The issues that are driving those protests have been going on now for some time; they don’t look like they’re going to come to an end any day soon.
They could have stepped back and just given a community that has suffered deep loss just a day or two to process what has happened and to carry on with the grieving process.
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Earlier on her morning media round, the home secretary said the attacker was not known to police. She’s faced a similar line of questioning on Sky News, where she was asked whether he had been referred to the anti-terror Prevent programme.
As you would expect considering he was not known to police, she says he had not.
Home secretary denies the recognition of Palestine has emboldened antisemites
Next up for the home secretary is Times Radio, on which she denied recognising Palestine had emboldened those who are antisemitic.
Mahmood said:
The only person responsible for this devastating attack on our Jewish community is the attacker himself.
The police have made three additional arrests, and it’s important that they are allowed to continue with their investigations and our process of justice is allowed to take its course. That is separate to what is happening in the Middle East.
The work of this government since the day we were elected has been to put our shoulder to the wheel in the diplomatic efforts in difficult and delicate conversations that are designed to try and bring an end to that devastating war.
Far too many lives have been lost. We want to see a secure and safe state of Israel alongside a state of Palestine.
Home secretary urges people to 'step back from protesting for at least a few days'
The home secretary has urged pro-Palestine protesters not to carry out demonstrations in the wake of the terror attack in Greater Manchester.
Speaking on GB News, Mahmood said:
As far as I am concerned, I would have wanted to see people in this country step back from protesting for at least a few days, just to give the Jewish community here a chance to process what has happened and to begin the grieving process as well.
I am very disappointed that some of the organisers haven’t heeded the call to step back.
I would still call on people to show some love and some solidarity to the families of those who have been murdered and to our Jewish community.
Updated
Attacker was not known to police, home secretary says
The man who carried out the attack in Greater Manchester was not known to the police, the home secretary has confirmed.
Speaking on GB News as part of her morning media round, Shabana Mahmood said:
In terms of the attacker, this individual was not known to the security services.
He has obviously been shot dead at the scene, but the police investigations will now continue at pace.
She thanked members of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall and the police, saying their actions helped save lives.
Updated
Six minutes of terror: how Manchester synagogue attack unfolded
Worshippers had arrived early for a special morning service at Heaton Park shul in north Manchester. It was Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and rabbi Daniel Walker was leading prayers in his long white robes. By 9.31am, they were stained with blood.
Here, our North of England editor Josh Halliday explains how the attack unfolded:
Analysis: MI5 and counter-terror police on heightened alert
MI5 and counter-terrorism police will operate at a heightened state of alert in the coming weeks, reflecting concern that the Manchester synagogue attack may be followed by others during the period around the second anniversary of the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israel.
Policing at synagogues across the country is to be increased. The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, promised “high visibility” patrols in and outside Jewish places of worship to reassure communities and to deter any further threats, while police forces elsewhere in the UK made similar commitments.
Investigations into the attack, which killed two and seriously injured four others, remain at an early stage. The central theory is that the killer, who was shot dead by police, had an Islamist motivation. There is no information in the public domain about whether he may have been radicalised by the continued Israeli military campaign and deaths of Palestinians in Gaza.
The attack, at about 9.30am at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, was not sophisticated.
There were concerns the attacker was carrying an explosive and appeared to have a vest and items strapped to his waist, but the devices were fakes. Victims at the synagogue, who were marking the last day of Yom Kippur, were stabbed with a knife.
A key line of inquiry for investigators is whether the attacker acted alone, though there is not thought to be any ongoing threat to the public.
Plots directed from overseas, once the norm in the era of al-Qaida, have become rare and individuals are more usually radicalised by following the news or gaining information online.
Investigators also acknowledged that the two-year Israel-Gaza war has changed the threat environment.
Two years ago, Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, said: “There clearly is the possibility that profound events in the Middle East will either generate more volume of UK threat, and/or change its shape in terms of what is being targeted, in terms of how people are taking inspiration.”
Read more here:
This is the scene in Crumpsall on Friday morning:
Updated
Feelings of safety in the UK’s Jewish community have declined sharply in the last couple of years, according to the largest survey of British Jews since 7 October 2023.
The research, conducted in June and July, found 35% of Jews felt unsafe in Britain in 2025, compared with 9% in 2023 before the Hamas attacks.
Perceptions of antisemitism had also intensified, with 47% of British Jews seeing it as a “very big” problem – up from just 11% in 2012.
The research, conducted by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR), also found 32% of Jews reported experiencing at least one antisemitic incident in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Community Security Trust (CST), which has been monitoring antisemitic incidents since 1994, recorded 1,521 cases in the UK from January to June 2025.
This was the second-highest total ever recorded in the first half of any year, second only to the first six months of 2024 with 2,019 in the immediate aftermath of the 7 October atrocity.
Of the 1,521 antisemitic incidents this year, 968 occurred across Greater London and Greater Manchester, the two UK cities with the biggest Jewish populations.
The new report from the JPR examined how British Jews are navigating “a period of profound challenge and instability”.
It found emotional attachment to Israel had increased – with 75% of British Jews feeling emotionally attached and 49% “very attached”, compared with 72% and 40% respectively just before 7 October.
However, it also found “anti-Zionist identification” had risen from 8% in 2022 to 12% in 2025, most notably among younger Jews, with a quarter (24%) of 20- to 29-year-olds now identifying as anti-Zionist, a rise from 13% in 2022.
Here’s a map showing where the attack took place:
Thursday’s attack drew widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum, with Keir Starmer calling the knife attacker a “vile individual” who “attacked Jews because they are Jews, and attacked Britain because of our values”. Political rivals Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage were among those joining the prime minister in showing support for the Jewish community.
It happened days before the second anniversary of the 7 October attacks by Hamas in Israel. Police said there would be heightened security at synagogues and Jewish community centres in coming days. Research published on Thursday showed that more than a third (35%) of British Jews said they felt unsafe in the UK, compared with 9% before the 7 October attacks.
The Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council said in a statement on Thursday evening that the attack was “sadly something we feared was coming”.
They added: “We call on all those in positions of power and influence to take the required action to combat hatred against Jewish people, and will be working with the authorities on a series of additional measures to protect our community over the coming days.”
You can reas our full report from yesterday here:
Naming the victims, Detective Ch Supt Lewis Hughes, who is coordinating the casualty response, said:
My deepest sympathies are with Mr Daulby and Mr Cravitz’s loved ones at this extremely hard time.
Specially trained family liaison officers are in contact with them. They will continue to update them on the investigation and support them throughout the coronial process
While there are processes which must be followed, we commit to being mindful of cultural preferences and sensitivities and to ensuring that these men and their loved ones’ wishes are respected.
Updated
Manchester synagogue attack victims named
The two men killed in Thursday’s attack on a synagogue in Manchester have been named as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, police have said.
Greater Manchester police said formal identification is yet to take place but their families have been informed and family liaison officers are in contact.
The men were killed when an attacker used a car to ram into the grounds of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, then stabbed worshippers in a six-minute rampage that only ended when armed officers shot at him twice.
Three others were seriously injured in the attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Police named the attacker on Thursday night as Jihad al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent. Greater Manchester police revealed that three other people – two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s – had been arrested “on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism”.
Postmortem examinations of the victims – both of whom are from Crumpsall – will take place later on Friday.
We’ll bring you the latest developments on this story as we get them.
